You Might Think
by Mighty ANT
Summary: Life goes on, even when one is lost.  Drabbles following "Our Town"  Spoilers for Cars 2
1. Chapter 1

**You Might Think**

**These are supposed to be a continuation of "Our Town", and what happened after. It shows that it took quite some time for everything to go back to the way it was before, explaining the stuff that happened in the sequel. And once again, there will be spoilers for Cars 2 in later chapters. **

**Normal**

As Lightning groggily pried his eyes open, glancing tiredly around his designated Cone Number One, he realized something. Not only was he awaken by the usual sound of a trumpet playing, but also an electric guitar rendition of Star-Spangled Banner, the same sounds he awoke to every morning in Radiator Springs, but there was the detrimental lack of arguing, particularly from Fillmore and Sarge. The music continued to drift through the town, seeming void without the constant bickering that followed it. Lightning looked out his window with a sigh. He knew that after the loss of Doc, it would take a while for things to get back to normal.

**Replacement**

"I mean, what're we going to do, we _need_ a doctor," Sheriff muttered grudgingly. It was later in the evening at the café, the town's residents gathered around the police cruiser. "but no one could eva' be a better doctor than Doc hisself!" Mater protested proudly, hood rising.

"We know that, Mater, but fact is, we need a doctor," Sally explained. "Heck, I could be doctor!" Ramone cried suddenly, rising up on his axles. There was a moment of silence before the Sheriff spoke again, "you know, that might not be such a bad idea,"

"What, really?"

This time Sally cut in, "yeah, after all, you're already familiar with all the tools and procedures." Lightning spoke suddenly, a large smirk on his face, "plus, you can give all of your patients a paint job when you're done,"

**Will**

"Ya found his what?" Mater queried incredulously, eyes wide as hubcaps as he looked over at the paper held under Sally's tire. "His will," the Porsche murmured, gaze locked on the pristine white paper. She quickly scanned over the paragraphs of writing in a few minutes, when she stopped abruptly and tore her eyes away, looking up at the stock car next to her, "Stickers, you might want to read this,"

Lightning slowly reached out a tire and took the paper, bringing it towards himself, a quizzical look on his face that immediately disappeared once he began reading.

_I can safely assume that Sally was the one who started reading this, so if you could turn this over to the kid. Anyhow, in case you aren't here when I finally croak, I just want to say that you'd better not quit racing. If that thought so much as crosses your mind, I'll cross back over and put you over myself. You keep on racing, kid, and make sure that no one else wins a Piston Cup. _

Once he finished reading, Lightning slowly looked up from the paper, a distant look on his face that slowly turned into a determined one. He would win those Piston Cups, there was no doubt about that now, and make Doc proud. And he knew that those trophies weren't for him, nor would they ever be.

**Highway **

Lightning drove down the stretch of road, seemingly endless in the great expanse of dirt and sand surrounding it. There were no streetlights or stop signs hindering his speed, and once he left the outskirts of Radiator Springs, he accelerated tenfold, until he was going far beyond the speed limit. These drives became more and more common as the days past, one of the only ways the stock car was able to clear his head, and simply let go. His worries would fade, at least for a while, until his drive ended several hours later. The residents of Radiator Springs were aware of these sometimes daily drives, and didn't comment on them. They all had some way to cope with their loss, and left the race car to his own.

**Manage**

In the few weeks following Doc's death, the town of Radiator Springs changed, though not many would notice it. Luigi stopped pestering people to buy his tires, Guido didn't obsess over the one tire that kept moving every time a sign touched it, and both Sarge and Fillmore didn't fight (at least not noticeably) for an entire week. Red became even more silent, if that was possible, and Mater didn't go tractor tipping for a while, two weeks actually. Flo seemed to lose her cheer, the Sheriff his gruff, disciplinary attitude, and Ramone even lost the will to paint himself every morning. Lightning took long drives in the middle of the night, taking hours to return home. Lizzie remained relatively the same. Yet they all managed, and soon things were nearly back to the way they were, the tourists visiting Radiator Springs hardly noticing a thing.

**I'll update as soon as I can, so until then….review please!**

**~oh, and special thanks to everyone that reviewed and favorite-d "Our Town"**

**~I am required to say that I don't own anything~**


	2. Chapter 2

**You Might Think **

**I have returned! It's a miracle! Anyway, thanks for favoriting this story and whatnot, and once again, there will be spoilers for Cars 2 in this chapter and the ones following. **

**Smile**

"C'mon Sally, what's wrong?" Lightning questioned pleadingly, the Porsche having been acting uncharacteristically depressed the last few days. "Nothing, Stickers," she sighed, both of them driving down the street, heading for the Cozy Cone Motel. "That means something's wrong!" the stock car quickly deduced, his girlfriend shaking her hood with a roll of the eyes. Lightning opened his mouth to try and get the Porsche to admit what was bothering her, when a sudden cry of, "Ah didn't do it!" stopped him, and both of them turned just in time to see Mater tear down the street, an extremely panicked look on his face. Lightning and Sally stared after the tow truck, looking utterly confused, when the ground began shaking, several loud moos heard from behind them as dozens of tractors abruptly stampeded into town. While Sally quickly veered to the right to get out of the way, Lightning drove forward, trying to outrun the frightened tractors. In the end, he was lost in the fray, hastily calling for help. Sally simply sat and watched, her previous mood gone and a large grin on her face.

**Convert**

"There," Ramone announced, stepping back from the newly painted building, spray can still in tire, joining the rest of the town's residents, "it's finished,"

"Tha' Doc Hudson Museum. Home a' Tha' Fabulous Hudson Hornet," Mater read aloud, taking care to pronounce everything correctly. "So, all his-a trophies are on-a display inside?" Luigi queried.

"Yup," Lightning answered, before chuckling, "and now the old grandpa car has his own museum,"

**Display**

"I'm not so sure about this, Mater," Lightning muttered nervously, idling outside the doors leading into Doc's museum. "Aw, c'mon, buddy! S'not like we is gonna vandalize or notin!" the tow truck answered bravely, pushing open the doors with his hood. The stock car followed grudgingly, glancing up at the memorabilia and newspaper articles framed along the walls.

"This is supposed to be _his_ museum, Mater,"

"well, shoot, I doubt he'll care 'bout one lil' trophy!" the tow truck announced, reaching back with his tow cable to pull Lightning's Piston Cup trophy out of his flatbed, placing it on a small pedestal near the rest of Doc's. "There, it look's perfect!"

"But Mater—"

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it! Afta' all, Doc's the one tha' wanted ya ta' win! No one deserves those trophies but you, bud!"

**Hurt **

Lightning barreled down the track, bits of rubble shaking as he drove past. He could hear the crowd screaming his name, their shouts mingling with the roar from the other racers' engines. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Chick was gaining. He didn't know _when_ the stuck-up #86 car would give up, having already lost two Piston Cups to Lightning. Most of the other cars had been taken off the track, thanks to a large wreck that Chick caused. Without looking up at the clock, Lightning knew that he had only one lap to go and taking heed of Mater's encouragement over the radio, sped up as he rounded the next turn. But then, Lightning felt something ram into him from the side and immediately lost control, falling into a painful spin across the cement and into the turf at the center of the track. A collective gasp erupted from the crowd, and Lightning slowly opened his eyes, feeling a stinging pain in his side. But instead of looking down at his dent, the stock car glanced up, seeing the #86 car a few feet away from him, having been apparently hit when ramming Lightning off the track. He felt the crowd's anxious gaze on him and he slowly rose, pleasantly surprised to see that none of his tires were blown.

Just as he got up, Chick did the same and immediately started for the finish line, not three hundred feet away. Lightning was stood in shock for a moment before a firm look settled over his features. Doc had told him not to let anyone else win a Piston Cup, and he sure as heck wasn't to start doing so now. And so, filled with new determination, Lightning gathered all of his remaining strength and barreled out of the turf, soon passing a surprised Chick, who had obviously thought him out of the race, and crossing the checkered line. He may not care as much about winning, but sure wasn't going to let Chick Hicks cross that finish line anytime soon.

**And scene. Well, there goes Lightning's 3****rd**** Piston Cup, and the making of Doc's museum. There will be more chapters to come, so please review!**

**I'll update as soon as I can, so until then….review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**You Might Think **

**These drabbles are some of my favorites, and you'll soon see why. So read, review, and enjoy.**

**Acknowledgment **

Lightning raced over the finish line, exhilarated beyond belief. He'd beaten the other racers by a mile, and Chick was still several yards back. The spectators around him erupted into cheer, and he allowed himself a small, yet proud, smile before his pit crew came rushing over to him. Since the loss of Doc, all of them—with the exception of Guido—served as his crew chiefs, giving him advice and encouragement, though none comparing to the deceased #51. They were all led to a large platform where Lightning would receive his trophy, one of the higher-ups coming and personally handing him his fourth Piston Cup. But as soon as the stock car laid eyes on it, his breath caught. It looked similar to the usual trophy, just like the other three he had at home, but coming out of the top was a small replica of Doc. And instead of the usual title, it said The Hudson Hornet Piston Cup.

**Headlights**

Lightning drove into Ramone's shop, converted into a part-time doctor's office, got himself waxed, repainted, and dents buffed out. Flames now adorned his sides instead of the usual lightning bolt, and the Hudson Hornet Piston Cup was plastered proudly over his hood. But one thing in particular the Chevy Impala enjoyed doing most, was finally giving him headlights. If only the Rust-eze guys could see him now. Doc would probably laugh and say it was about time.

**Differences**

Tokyo was undeniably different from Radiator Springs. Literally everything was lit up with more colors than Lightning had thought possible, from the buildings advertising all sorts of inane merchandise, to the capsule motels. They even had vending machines selling tires, and Chrysler knew what else! It was a riot of colors and sounds, the street alone far more technologically advanced than everything back home put together. They definitely weren't in Radiator Springs anymore.

**Taught**

The racers rounded another corner, _finally _coming to the dirt track portion of the race. Francesco couldn't race on dirt, that much Lightning knew. He could get a lead here and beat that cocky F1 car on the turf he had practically grown up on, considering how long he practiced on it. As Francesco slowed and stumbled in the dirt, Lightning turned his wheels to the correct angle, nearly gliding across the soil, Doc's mantra ringing in his head, though his move wasn't nearly as amazing as when the old race car did it.

**Suspicions**

Sarge knew something was amiss from the second the first race car's engine began smoking. What _exactly_ was going on he didn't have a clue, but when more engines began failing he decided to take matters into his own tires. When they arrived in Italy and McQueen was getting ready, he quickly switched the Allinol fuel for Fillmore's organic mixture. He wasn't aware of the fact that the hippie car had seen him until later, when he assured the young stock car that the "renewable fuel" was safe. Sarge just hoped that the van could keep his mouth shut, so no one would think he was going soft. And anyway, Doc would never forgive him if he let anything happen to the kid.

**Plus **

"well, wouldja look a' that!"Mater exclaimed happily, looking up at the large sign in front of him, depicting both his and Lightning McQueen's image, the stock car in question standing next to him, _"Sir_ Tow Mater!"the tow truck continued ecstatically, bringing his hood up in a snobby fashion,"ah guess you is gonna hafta' start referin' ta' me as His Highness now!"

"Oh, of course, your eminence_,"_ Lightning said with a mock bow, "would thou care for a canapé or refreshing drink?"

Both cars broke character with a burst of laughter, Mater giving the stock car a playful punch with his tire,"oh, if only Doc could see us now!"

Lightning's chortling diminished into a dry chuckle,"yeah, I guess so. I mean, you turned into a super spy, and we both got to travel around the world,"

"now don'tchu worry, "Mater assured his friend with his usual goofy smile,"Doc would'a been proud a' both of us!"

**~I don't, nor will I ever, own Cars~**


End file.
